This invention relates generally to analog-to-digital converters, and in particular to a precision analog-to-digital converter having low-resolution and high-resolution conversion paths.
There are many conventional analog-to-digital converters that are capable of measuring analog voltages with a high degree of precision. Most of these, however, are quite sophisticated, take up a great deal of space, consume a large amount of power, and are comparatively expensive. There are some measurement situations in which it would be desirable to provide a high-resolution analog-to-digital converter using relatively simple and inexpensive parts, and capable of implementation in a small area. One such situation, for example, is measurement of low-level signals from transducers, such as pressure transducers and the like, wherein it is desired to place a high-resolution analog-to-digital converter in a small module near the transducer and remote from the measuring instrument.